Domaine Le Clos des Fontaines

The grounds and pool were really nice, and the location was very quiet, perhaps too quiet. Staff were friendly and helpful. The room and bed were lovely, and the toilet was separate from the bathroom. That arrangement wasn't to my taste, though it might suit others. There was no shower curtain or screen, which wasn't ideal. The room key gave me trouble getting into the building, and locking up when I went out was difficult. The Wi-Fi never worked, even after staff rebooted it.

The place is clean, the hosts are friendly and the surroundings are beautiful. But at €240 a night, I expected some basic luxury and it just wasn’t there. It felt a bit like traveling with Ryanair. The spa is very basic and closes at 8 p.m., so there’s no sauna or swim after a day of walking. Breakfast costs an extra €15 per person and wasn’t anything special, without even fresh juice. The room's “jacuzzi” tub only fits one person, and a small bottle of water from the minibar costs €2.50, at a spa. The free room coffee is just instant packets. They advertise expensive bath products everywhere, but there are no samples, and the products on the bathroom wall aren’t even the advertised brand. There are only two cardboard cups in the room, no proper glasses, so you have to ask reception for some. It is a nice place, but the value for money was a real disappointment. A few small touches would have made a big difference.

It’s a pity that such a pretty place has a team that felt so unpleasant and unwilling to listen to guests. I came from Paris for the weekend of September 9 to get away from the oppressive heat and cool off in a pool. That was my one deciding factor. I found Clos des Fontaines online, on the banks of the Seine, and it looked promising. I booked the Belem suite, the hotel's most expensive, for €295 without breakfast, which cost another €15. My eldest daughter and son-in-law came with me, but they weren’t staying at the hotel because they had a birthday party in Rouen on Saturday night. The first unpleasant surprise was being charged an extra 2 x 25€ so they could use the pool on Saturday afternoon. I was told that, because I was alone in the suite, only one pool entry was “free.” The room rate is per room, not per person. On Sunday morning I was told my daughter couldn’t come back, which I’d partly expected after the cold welcome the day before. More surprising, I was told I had to leave my room at noon, which is normal, but also had to leave the pool, garden and hotel then. I explained that I’d come all the way from Paris to escape the heat wave and enjoy the pool, but the team said the owner wouldn’t allow it. Readers, avoid this place. The owners are so unpleasant.

The setting is stunning, the room was lovely, and we were welcomed warmly and in a friendly way. My wife and I stopped for one night while returning from the south of France. We wished we’d had more time to use the spa. We’ll definitely try to come back and make the most of this discovery. I’d recommend it.